OaklandClubhouse’s Oakland A’s Minor League Player of the Month: August

Seth Brown put together a year's worth of production in one month's time. / Photo by Chris Lockard

OaklandClubhouse Player of the Month: August

Seth Brown, OF/1B, Stockton Ports

106 AB, .349/.423/.775, 12 HR, 38 RBI, 15 BB, 24 R

Brown put together a season’s worth of production in one month’s time with a remarkable August for the Stockton Ports. Brown came into the month with 15 homeruns on the year and finished having nearly doubled his season-total. At one point, Brown homered in five straight games and he added a four-game homer streak in late August/early September. His three September homeruns got him to the 30-homer plateau.

Brown’s late-season surge left him as the Ports’ all-time single season leader in RBI with 109. He finished second to Renato Nunez in homeruns amongst A’s minor leaguers with 30. Brown was a big part of the Ports’ second-half North Division title. He hit .302/.373/.601 with 19 homers during the second half of the season. Not bad for a guy who posted a 702 OPS in the Cal League last year. He should make the jump to Double-A Midland at the start of next season.

Runners Up

Sheldon Neuse, SS/3B, Stockton Ports/Midland RockHounds: 88 AB, .364/.419/.557, 6 2B, 4 HR, 13 RBI Neuse hasn’t stopped hitting since joining the A’s in a trade with the Nationals on July 16, and that production has come even as he has risen two levels since the trade (from Low-A to High-A in his A’s debut and then from High-A to Double-A). After helping the Midland RockHounds reach the post-season, Neuse will continue his A’s debut well into the fall as a member of the A’s Arizona Fall League contingent.

B.J. Boyd, OF, Midland RockHounds: 103 AB, .379/.420/.466, 3 2B, 2 HR, 11 RBI, 21 R, 8:13 BB:K Boyd finished just short of a Texas League batting title, but it was still a strong end to a remarkable season for the Palo Alto native. Boyd never hit less than .270 in any full month this season and hit better than .325 in three separate months, including August. He used the whole field well and took advantage of his plus speed, both out of the box and on the bases. Boyd played all three outfield positions for the RockHounds this year and could push his way into Oakland’s big league plans sometime next season.

Tyler Ramirez, OF, Midland RockHounds: 91 AB, .341/.425/.462, 8 XBH, 12 BB, 13 R Ramirez handled the mid-season jump from High-A to Double-A with ease, hitting for average and getting on-base at an above-average clip during his two months with the RockHounds. He finished his stint with Midland with a .308 average and he hit .304 overall in his first full professional season. Ramirez will join Neuse in Arizona this fall after he finishes his run in the post-season with the RockHounds.

Franklin Barreto, SS/2B, Nashville Sounds: 109 AB, .349/.393/.550, 6 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, 17 RBI, 8 SB Barreto made the A’s decision about whether to give him a September call-up an easy one with a red-hot finish to his season. The middle infielder hit for power, average and showed his plus speed, more than doubling his season stolen base total. Barreto still struck-out a lot (30 times) and he didn’t walk much, but he didn’t miss his pitches when he got them and it resulted in big numbers. He should get a chance to show what he can do in the big leagues during the final month of the season.

Renato Nunez, IF/LF, Nashville Sounds: 87 AB, .287/.370/.529, 6 2B, 5 HR, 13 RBI, 12 BB Nunez capped off a strong 2017 season with an excellent month of August. Nunez did all three things at the plate well in August: he hit for average, he hit for power and he drew walks at a rate he hasn’t previously in his career. In fact, between August and September, Nunez walked 19 times in 26 games. He finished the year with a 8.8% BB%, the best of his career. Over the past 30 days, Nunez’s BB% is 16.5%. After a season of waiting patiently for a chance in the big leagues, Nunez will join the A’s in September for an audition for next year.

Lazaro Armenteros, OF, AZL Athletics: 62 AB, .339/.438/.581, 4 2B, 4 3B, 1 HR, 11 RBI, 9 BB, 5 SB Lazarito’s pro debut season finished on a strong note on the field with a productive month of August. He flashed his plus speed out of the box and on the bases and found the gaps with his bat. Lazarito also showed an increased understanding of the strike-zone. He is on-track to challenge for a spot with Low-A Beloit next spring.